Introduction & Portfolio

Intro to DAC

Posted by Darren on

I am Darren Cole, Born in Kansas City, MO…I grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, after undergrad I started traveling, and fell in love with Massachusetts where I met my wife. The majority of my family is scattered around the mid and southwest states. I am on the left, my friend Matt Kliegman in the middle and Mark Wenzel on the right.
I would say being an African American man in the united states shapes a lot of who I am, but more importantly that I have been a “token” player in the majority of my academic and professional career. Sometimes that means been the only or one of few people of color in my classes throughout my entire life and also in work situations even when around people of color I stand out amongst people that look like me because I have had different experience then maybe some peers of mine because of the path I took to get here. I say this to say I have relationships with many people that look like me but often I am the isolated person, which I think have given me a perspective that is more well rounded about how people feel when relating certain experiences and because of this I have had the chance to see and experience moments I would not have had the chance to if I was able to move between spaces of identity. Kate and I got married the same year as the 50th anniversary of Loving vs. Virginia. That is my moms mom on the left.
I would consider myself a practicing artist, most of the work I make today is very similar in ways to what I was making 15 years ago, I have just gotten better at making what I like to create. I also spend the majority of my time involved with friends and collaborators speaking and working on creative projects. The goal is to do this for another 10 years professionally alongside teaching after graduation. I have many goals that I reflect on and strive toward each year, and depending on how the year goes I accomplish what I can. Definitely look forward to 2022
I would consider myself a digital artist, 90% of my work exists on a hard drive or on the internet, very few pieces are physical objects you can hold or take home in any meaningful way. I have been in school or taking classes and or teaching myself new skills along the way, that has not stopped since began making music when I was 9 or 10 years old, excited to keep going.
I am an audio visual moving image maker some people call this a filmmaker, or content creator, visual artist. 
I started producing music I would consider it more sounds now, but I djed professionally for many years. I still record mix and master sounds they mainly go with all my visuals and in terms of visual art, I paint, I paint on 16mm film. I perform in some of my visual works as well. 
I am very excited about the ability to have a creative life that is supported by the work I make, and plan to do this for a while longer, so sometime I might move slow because I am not in a rush, I want to enjoy the ride, I love making the work, as much as I love seeing the finished project.

Balance(2020) and 11AGO(2019)
Who Is My Neighbor (2016)
Aria Project(2021)
Coyote Way: Expanded Cinema (2021)
Live Code Performance Hydra(2021)
When Up, Look Down(2021)
Milkshaw Benedict(2019)

9 Comments Add yours

  1. Karen says:
    January 24, 2022 at 3:06 pm

    Thought – provoking.

  2. Joe says:
    January 24, 2022 at 7:21 pm

    Yeah, thought-provoking. Your work is very interesting, Darren

  3. Qianlin says:
    January 25, 2022 at 8:19 am

    I love music, I love music-related art. And I never thought that a MIDI Fighter can be used like that.
    inventive

  4. Claire says:
    January 25, 2022 at 1:45 pm

    inventive, thought-provoking, colorful

  5. Tim says:
    January 25, 2022 at 7:04 pm

    thought-provoking and impressive – your work all has meaning behind it that makes it even more enjoyable and impressive!

  6. Laurie says:
    January 25, 2022 at 8:29 pm

    inventive, thought-provoking – your work shows topics in creative ways and encourages thought

  7. Varun says:
    January 25, 2022 at 10:04 pm

    One word – gorgeous. It’s simply beautiful to see how you combine complex topics of culture, history, thought, and media to weave narratives and artifacts. Your projects are impressive and thought-provoking (as many others pointed out above). The world needs more of you.

  8. Josiah says:
    January 27, 2022 at 10:50 am

    Inventive!
    I love to see the great variety of artistic mediums you explore!

  9. rwebster says:
    January 31, 2022 at 2:17 am

    thought-provoking! I gotta tip my hat to the commitment and dedication to exploring very visceral mediums. It’s inclusive and expressive. I want to see so much more.

Leave a Reply